from deja.com, a public theatre newsgroup forum


Re: CATS video blunder
Date: 10/31/1998
Author: SPiper007

Some may argue that this is not the first musical to be
recorded for video. Well, strictly, no. I mean, who can
forget the ghastly video release of Five Guys Named
Moe or the similarly inadequate (though slightly superior)
video release & TV broadcast of Hot Shoe Shuffle.

However, both of these were recorded with a live audience,
and the camera worked around the audience, rather than
instead of. What we are dealing with here, with the first
film recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's re-working of
T.S.Elliot's legendary poem collection, is a ground
breaking piece of cinematic entertainment of epic proportions.

This recording of Cats, unlike previous attempts at this
somewhat difficult art to master (as clearly theatre and
film don't always mix well), acts not as a fly on the
wall at a live performance, but as the audiences eye.
The fluidity between quality shots, regularly switching
focus, sweeping in front of, behind, through, above,
below, and around the stage is remarkable, keeping
the viewer readily awake and attentive.

Whether you (or I for that matter) like or dislike Cats
as a piece of musical theatre is irrelevant here. What
is under debate and study is the innovative filming of
a piece of live musical theatre which is sure to set
the standard for videos to come (certainly, we are told
from the outset, with a pre-performance advert for next
October's [1999] release of Joseph & His Amazing
Technicolour Dreamcoat, that this is likely to be the
first of many) which can only be a good thing.

The cast here is impeccable. And they have to be. If
you've seen the show live before from the "gods", it
is quite probable that you missed the subtleties of
the performances - but on this video - no twitch, wink,
reaction or expression does the camera, or subsequently,
the viewer, miss.

Elaine Paige is Grizabella. THE choice. The ONLY choice.
Apart from the fact that inevitably a big name is needed
to sell a video [or so the distributors are led to
believe], no one could be in disagreement that the part
BELONGS to her. If you ARE cynical to this view [is
there anybody out there?] this video is surely proof
beyond doubt - and a worthy reason for you too to purchase.

Sir John Mills, now into his nineties, shows no signs
(luckily for us) of letting up, and is here playing
Gus The Theatre Cat - moving most people in the room
to tears, when I first saw it. Ken Page is Deuteronomy,
perhaps a slightly thankless role, but indispensable
nevertheless.

Other performances not to miss are Rosemary Ford as
Bombalurina, proving there's life after Brucey, John
Partridge as the definitive Rum Tum Tugger, Suzie
McKenna as a sprightly Jennyanydots, Michael Gruber as
Munkunstrap, and Drew Varley & Jo Gibb as Mungojerry &
Rumpleteazer respectively. One moan though - why oh
why did they change the melody of the thieving cats
title song. A resident director of the current London
production tells me that the original tune was too
demanding for the performers to sing while performing
the very energetic dance & acrobatic routine. However,
I argue that the former tune, which we have all come
to love from listening to Bonnie Langford and co on
the original cast album is sorely missed and the
replacement tune is forgettable and unmelodic.

However these are trivialities, and I digress. Thanks
to the wonders of film - we also have enhanced parts
of the show: for instance, Mr. Mistoffelees' (Jacob
Brent) song ends with him vanishing before our eyes
mid-air, mid-leap, and "quick-changes" are no longer a problem .

The format may take some getting used to at the beginning.
This is because, as I explained, the camera is as if
it IS the audience, therefore there are no people in
the auditorium to applaud after songs. Many songs run
straight on, which is effective, but there are a few
moments, where it feels initially stagnant during a
post-chorus number freeze, in which you're dying to
hear rapturous applause. However, by the end of the
video it becomes unnoticeable, as you learn to accept it.

The makers of this video have done a wonderful job,
and I only hope that others that follow will live up
to my now very high expectations.


main Cats on video page